


A Chance at Happiness

by ourheroregina



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-06-17 06:15:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15455145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ourheroregina/pseuds/ourheroregina
Summary: Arranged Marriage AU. When Henry finds out that Cora's arranging Regina's marriage with King Leopold, he tries to save his daughter by arranging another marriage with an old friend's son Robin of Locksley. But how can Regina marry someone when her heart belongs to Daniel?





	1. Chapter 1

Regina is confused. She cannot understand why Daddy made her cancel her riding lessons and travel with him right away. He didn’t even leave her time to change from her riding clothes to a dress, he basically pulled her out of her chambers and out of the castle by her hand before she could even understand what was happening.

Although they’ve been traveling for more than an hour now, Henry didn’t bother to explain where they were going, insisted that she’ll find that out soon on her own. One part of her is angry – her father knows how important her riding lessons are to her and he’s taken it from her, and now he doesn’t even explain where they are traveling.

However, the other part of her is generally confused and anxious. 

Where are they traveling?

Why doesn’t Daddy tell her?

Is something wrong?

She keeps torturing herself with these thoughts until the carriage is stopped. Only then she’s snapped out of her thoughts. She blinks a few times, inhales deeply and sees that their servant has already opened the small door of the carriage.

“Where are we, Daddy?” she swallows hard and asks, trying to keep her voice strong as Daddy gets out of a carriage and holds his hand out for her.

Henry ignores her questions, only asks her to please, get out of the carriage and go with him.

Regina hesitates. She’s not a shy girl, usually she’s brave and ready to face everything but this whole situation confused her a lot. Inhaling she looks at her father, at his stretched out hand, wordlessly asking one more time what is going on. But her father only gives her a tight smile and asks her to go with him.

Sighing, she takes Henry’s hand.

The place is unknown to Regina, at least she’s never been here before. It looks like they’re in a middle of a forest or some kind of a small village.

She turns to her father who looks at her nervously, lips pressed together in a thin line. She can see how he inhales shakily before motioning for her to follow him.

But she can still feel that something is off.

She’s the most precious thing to him, Regina reminds herself, he’d said that time and time again, had proved it in more than one way. He wouldn’t let her get hurt.

She trusts her father.

With that thought she does as she’s told again and follows her father.

Despite that, Regina’s heart is in her throat.

Henry leads her into the old building that looks like it’s going to tumble down at any moment. It could be a tavern or some other place where only peasants would go. Regina swallows her disgust (and nerves) and follows her father dutifully, not a word said.

The door is closed behind them with a loud bang that makes Regina feel even more uncomfortable. Inhaling deeply, she looks around. Indeed, it’s a rather small tavern that smells of alcohol and cigars, sweat and dirt, and Regina frowns in confusion.

She has no idea what people like them could be doing in this kind of place.

Good thing she doesn’t have to wait for long to figure it out.

It turns out that a man is waiting for them, a man who looks like he belongs to this place by soul although his appearance tells a different story. He’s dressed in some fancy tunic and wears a cape over it which is the color of the forest (that’s as much as she can see while he’s sitting at the table). He could be a peasant but at the same time and a noble man.

Regina inhales sharply.

“Hello, Mr. Locksley,” Daddy greets the man with a small, nervous smile and a court nod. Then he glances at Regina who’s standing behind him rather stunned.

It’s her father’s gaze that brings her back to reality and she remembers her manners and does a skeptical bow in greeting.

“Mr. Mills,” the man nods, stands up and shakes hands with Henry. He then turns to look at Regina, and her breath hitches in her throat. His eyes are so deep and beautiful! “And you must be Miss Mills. I’m Robin of Locksley,” he introduces himself.

Regina only narrows her eyes at him, still not being able to understand what the hell they are doing here.

“Sit down, please,” the man says when Regina looks away and takes his previous place while Henry sits down on the bench in front of him. Regina hesitates for a moment but when her father asks her to please sit down she does as she is told.

She cannot explain why she’s so nervous about this whole thing.

It’s hilarious. It’s not the first business meeting her father brought her to, and all the other times she didn’t seem to mind. She would sit quietly while her father discussed business but now… Now she feels something, and her father is acting strange…

“Would you like a drink?”

“No, thank you,” Henry replies, and turns to look at Regina nervously. It feels as if he’s apologizing to her for some unknown reason. Regina opens her mouth to ask something but he turns back to the man in front of them and starts, “Mr. Locksl-“

 “Please, call me Robin.”

“Robin,” he corrects himself and Regina feels him relaxing a bit, there’s a small smile on his face now.

The same, however, couldn’t be said about Regina. She’s sitting there, her back straight as a board, her whole body tensed as she wonders for the umpteenth time that day what does it all mean.

Henry makes a small conversation with this man, but Regina cannot concentrate on what they’re saying. She feels something, something strange and scary, and she hopes, prays to all the Gods above that they come home safe and sound.

She’s pulled out of her thoughts when Henry takes her hands in his and gives in a light comforting squeeze. She blinks rapidly for a few times and lifts her gaze to look at him.

“Sweetheart,” he starts nervously. He squeezes her hands one more time, inhales deeply and tells her, “I brought you here on purpose.” Regina swallows hard but doesn’t say anything. She watches as her father struggles to find the right words before he settles on saying, “Robin of Locksley wants to marry you.”

 “What?”

The word is out of her mouth before she can fully understand what is happening. She stares at her father in shock, not even breathing.

It must be a joke, she’s been sad these past few weeks and her father probably decided to cheer her up. Yes, that’s the case.

Well, his joke is obviously awful.

She laughs but when Henry doesn’t join her, only continues to look at her whilst holding her hands, her laugh dies down in her throat and she realizes that it is not a joke at all. It’s true.

It is actually happening. 

“What?” she asks again as she pulls her hands out of her father’s and tries to stand up. Her legs are shaking badly but she manages to get up and starts walking backwards.

Henry stands up as well and grabs her hand that is shaking now again as he whispers that she has to let him explain, she needs to calm down at listen.

Tears fill her eyes as she shakes her head. There’s no explanation for this. Her father wants to marry her off to someone she doesn’t even know. And she thought he loved her…

Inhaling deeply she refuses to cry in front of them, she pushes all of her emotions away and holds herself a little straighter, her head held a little higher.

Henry sighs, “Do you remember king Leopold whose daughter you saved a few weeks ago?”

Regina nods her head and takes a deep breath, forces herself to listen.

“Sweetheart, your mother is arranging your marriage with that King.”

Regina’s whole body becomes covered in goose bumps as the words repeat in her head over and over again, like a broken record. She wants to laugh, wants to cry, wants to scream and hope that it’s just a dream, but instead she keeps it all inside and lets her father continue.

“Darling, I’m aware that that man is three times older than you and I would be an awful father if I didn’t do anything and just let that bastard marry you.” He tells her sincerely and when he takes her hands in his again, she doesn’t fight it. “In order to stop this madness, I found my old friend’s son. I’ve heard that he’s in need of a wife and I know him, Regina, he’s a good man. This is your best chance, to accept this proposal and marry Robin of Locksley. This is the only way to stop your mother and the King.”

It feels like her whole world has come crashing down around her.

 Yesterday she was riding a horse, laughing with Daniel, talking about the future they’ll have together, stealing kisses from one another and innocent touches. She was so careless and happy and now…

Now she finds out that there’s a king who wants to marry her and her mother is already basically selling her out to some old man without even asking what Regina wants. And then there is her father, the only person she actually trusted (expect Daniel) who wants her to marry a man she doesn’t even know.

She wants to throw up.

“Look, I know it is all very confusing to you please, be open minded and listen to what Mr. Locksley wants to offer,” Henry begs her as he wipes away a few tears from her cheeks. She hasn’t even realized she was crying. “I know you are smart and will do what’s best for you.” He then kisses her cheeks, hugs her, “I will leave you two to discuss everything,” he tells her and walks out of the tavern.

When the door is closed and her father in out, Regina shifts uncomfortably from one leg to another, takes a few deep breaths to steady herself. She doesn’t know how she manages to keep herself upright while her legs are shaking that bad.

This is insanity.

Inhaling deeply, she finally looks up to the man who’s still sitting at the table, to the man who may be her husband if she agrees.

Well, at least he’s not three times older than her.

Regina shakes her head to herself. How can he be her potential husband when she’s in love with Daniel? How can they even consider her becoming his wife when she’s promised to spend her whole life with her stable boy?

Mr. Locksley pushes a drink towards her, tells her she should drink. The cup looks dirty, it makes Regina grimace but she’s so thirsty, her emotions are all over the place so she pushes down her disgust and takes a sip of it, hopes that it will make her feel a bit better.

“I understand that you are surprised right now,” Mr. Locksley starts as she puts the cup down and looks at him again, eyes wide and skeptical. “I may not seem like your best choice but you have to listen to me. I have a very convenient arrangement for the both of us.”

“Oh, really?” she asks sarcastically. “I don’t see it that way.”

“That’s because you haven’t heard about it yet,” he tells her with a smile but when Regina doesn’t return the smile, he becomes serious again. “As you already know, I need a wife. You need to escape from the King. There couldn’t be a better offer than for us to get married.

Now Regina laughs humorlessly. “Oh, trust me, there _is_  a better offer.”

He pretends that he hasn’t heard what she just said and continues, “Your father also told me that I wouldn’t get your love, because your heart belongs to someone else.”

It makes Regina look up at him as she fights to hide her surprise.

They’ve been so careful, she and Daniel, they would only meet after the midnight when she’s made sure that the staff and her parents are asleep, or would kiss only when they’re sure they’re in the middle of nowhere.

Yet her father knows.

And he told this very confidence information to some unknown man.

For a brief moment she wonders who else knows.

“I see that I got your attention.”

Regina swallows hard. “I don’t understand why Daddy told you that. Also, I don’t understand why you want to marry someone who’s in love with someone else.”

“My heart belongs to someone else, too,” he admits and takes a sip of his drink. She doesn’t think he’s thirsty, she thinks he needs a moment to collect himself if his glassy eyes are any indication. However, when he puts the drink down and looks back at her he looks as right as rain. “I can’t be with her. And my family demands for a grandchild.”

“Wow! Stop right here! You want to have a child with me?!” she asks, her voice high-pitched.

She cannot understand why her father thought it was a good offer. It is insanity!

When Mr. Locksley nods, she feels as if she’s going to faint.

“I’m not ready to have a child,” she exclaims and stands up again, running her hands through her long hair in desperation. “I’m only seventeen, how could you marry me and expect me to give you a child when I’m a child myself?” she asks in disbelief.

However, she knows that age means nothing in their realm. She had a few friends, girls from close kingdoms who got married at the age of fifteen or even younger, and not a word was said about this. It’s not that she’s not old enough to get married and have children but the thought of it makes her stomach turn.

She cannot have a child. She doesn’t want to get married to that man. She wants to live free and wild with Daniel, she wants to create her future with him, not this man she knows nothing about.

 “How could Daddy ever think it was a good idea?” she mumbles, disbelieving.

“Your father knows me since I was a child,” he answers her rhetorical question. “He knows that I wouldn’t put you in harm’s way.”

Regina doesn’t say anything. This is madness! How could she marry him and give him a child when her heart belongs to Daniel? How could she forget her feelings and move on? Only yesterday she’s been thinking about her future with Daniel and now-

 She’s been so foolish to believe that she’d have a happy ending.

“Look, I know you cannot see the bright side right now but let me tell you more about the arrangement I’m offering” He asks and motions for her to sit down. She looks at him, doubts if she wants to know more but sits down nonetheless, thinks that if her mother is really arranging her marriage with that old King she should definitely listen to this man.

Mr. Locksley smiles a bit and then speaks, “I would marry you and as a part of a deal you should travel to live with me. But it wouldn’t mean much to you, you’d be a free woman. We would just shut my family up, they would leave me alone and we would save you from what sounds like an awful marriage to a king.”

“Oh, really? She asks, shaking her head in disbelief. “You forgot to mention the part where you wanted me to give you an heir.”

“Yes, we would also need to have a baby,” he nods his head as if it’s not a big deal.

 “I’m not ready to have a child!” she tries to say but her arguments die down on her tongue as she remembers her friends one more time.

“I am well aware that you’re only seventeen and obviously haven’t thought about marriage and having children yet. So we could wait. I need your word that you accept my offer, we engage but it doesn’t mean I would marry you right away. If you really wanted that, I would wait until you’re eighteen, or nineteen even. We would get married whenever you’re ready.”

He sounds honest and trustworthy and she thinks that perhaps it could work, his proposition is better than the marriage to the King. But she’s still not ready for this.

“I’m -  I’m not…”

“You don’t have to decide right now. Of course, the faster, the better. If you mother is really arranging your marriage with someone else, we need to be quicker than her and announce our engagement sooner.” He tells her sincerely, putting his hand on hers. But she moves it away, she doesn’t want his touch.

“Okay, how long do I have?”

“Let’s say if I don’t get your answer by the end of this week, I’ll know that you’re not interested.”

A week is not enough but she supposes it’s the best she can get so she nods her head, stands up, turns on her heels and rushes out of the tavern to the carriage without saying a goodbye.

(…)

On the way back to the castle, Regina doesn’t say a single word. All she can think about is the proposition that was offered to her just moments ago. She doesn’t know what she’s supposed to do now, she’s never thought she would have to make this choice for she was sure she’ll marry Daniel.

Now she’s not so sure anymore.

How could her father think it was a good idea, is beyond her.

“Sweetheart,” Henry’s touch and soft voice snaps her out of her thoughts.

She flinches away from his touch, shaking her head. “Let me think, Daddy,” she whispers as a tear runs down her cheek.

“Darling, I know that this doesn’t look good for you but trust me, I want only happiness for you. You have to consider Mr. Locksley proposition, even if it looks unacceptable at the moment. I know you love Daniel but, Regina, your mother wouldn’t care about that. All she cares about is tittle and trust me we won’t be able to turn down the King’s offer if he’s the first one who proposes. Please, my darling, think about it.”

She doesn’t say a word to her father. She lets him talk, and he talks all the way back to the castle. She hears only bits and pieces because all she can clearly hear is her rapidly beating heart that’s trying to jump out of her chest.

She’s screwed.

(…)

As soon as the carriage stops in their estate, Regina gets out of it and rushes to the castle. She can hear Daddy shouting behind her, asking her to stop, to talk to him but she doesn’t stop, she just runs into her room, shuts the door behind her, collapses onto the bed and cries.

She needs to think about it. About everything.

Life is so unfair sometimes, damn it!

It takes a few days to think about everything, it takes a few days until Regina finally feels strong enough to face the world again. She’d faked illness these last few days and mother had been furious, telling her that she must be ready when _the day_ comes. She hasn’t said what ‘the day’ meant, but Regina knew now.

Hours spent crying and thinking about the proposition helped her accept the consequences of being her mother’s daughter. Cora always wanted her to be a Queen and now it may be actually happening. But these hours made her realize one thing – she will marry the King over her head body.

Mr. Locksley’s proposition looks more and more acceptable, if he would only agree to her terms, she could actually agree. If only…

When she makes sure that Mother is busy, she sneaks out of the castle and runs straight to the stables. She’s missed Daniel, hasn’t seen him all these days. She didn’t feel strong enough to talk with him about this proposition, felt like she needed to make her own decision and only then come to him.

Daniel is right there in the stables, doing his work but as soon as he sees Regina, he quits whatever he was doing and rushes to her. She falls into his arms, hugs him and relaxes for the first time since that crazy arrangement was offered to her.

“Regina? Are you alright?” Daniel asks, pulling away from her, making her look at him. “I heard from maids that you were sick, and you skipped your lessons and I thought that something awful happened to you!”

He pulls her into another tight hug and she has to fight to keep her emotions under control. She cannot cry now, she needs to be the strong one and tell him about a new turn in their future.

“I’m fine.”

“Where were you?” he asks, still worried.

There’s no reason to lie to him, Regina thinks, as she pulls away from him and takes a step back. He looks at her puzzled while she inhales and finally tells him, “I have to get married, Daniel.”

A single tear runs down her cheek as her lover stares at her in disbelief. She promised herself not to cry, but now, saying it out loud seems ten times worse than it already was.

“What?”

“I’m getting married,” she repeats, her voice shaking.

“Are you- We… You said… I…” he’s struggling to speak and she understands, asks him to let her explain.

For a moment he just looks at her, his breathing labored but then he sighs and tells her to speak.

“Mother wants me to marry the King. He can come to propose anytime.” She says and Daniel opens his mouth to say something but she shakes her head, “Let me finish. Daddy offered me a solution. There’s a man who wants to marry me. He said that he doesn’t want a relationship, that he’s in love with someone else, just like me. He told me that I’ll be free, that means we’ll stay together, Daniel. Forever.”

It sounds stupid to her own ears and she can already see as Daniel face turns from confused to furious as he stares at her. And she understands, she doesn’t think that there’s a man out there who would agree to marry someone like Regina and wouldn’t expect anything from her.

She thinks that she made a good choice when she left out the part about the child. Daniel is already against the proposition (and who wouldn’t?), she can see it written on his face and she doesn’t even want to imagine how he would’ve reacted if she told him that she needs to provide an heir.

Daniel would never agree to accept something like that, but it’s their chance at happiness, this marriage may make them free and she’s not going to let it go. She doesn’t even care if she has to lie now.

 “Your parents are out of their minds!” Daniel exclaims as he runs his hands through his hair, panting. 

“I know, but this man is much better than the King, trust me.”

“Let’s run away,” he suggests, taking her hand in his and squeezing. “I promise I’ll work hard and you’ll never lack anything. I promise to make you the happiest woman on this planet, Regina. Just give me a chance!” he begs her and there are tears shinning in her eyes as she shakes her head sadly.

She’s already thought about this. She thought about running away, crossing realms, doing whatever it takes to be happy. But she knows her mother, and her mother is a strong witch, she would find them anywhere and would end them. Both of them.

“We can’t,” she tells him, another tear rolling down her cheek. “She’ll find us, you know that. And then I will never see you again. I can’t risk that, Daniel. I love you too much.”

He pulls her into his arms then and holds her there. She relaxes in his embrace once again, rests her head against his chest and tries to calm down.

“How do you know that that man is not lying? How do you know that he won’t change his mind?” Daniel asks, pulling away from her and starting to pace back and forth in the stables.

 “I don’t think he’s lying,” she admits. Regina is not one to trust people easily, living with her mother taught her to trust no one, but somehow she trusts this man, thinks that he’ll keep his word. At least hopes so.

Daniel looks at her and she knows that he doesn’t believe her.

Regina walks to him, rests her hand on his bicep and waits until he looks straight into her eyes.

“Listen to me,” she asks, and finally tells him what she’s decided during these days when she locked herself away from the world, “I will tell him that I want you to travel with me to his home. If he agrees, then I take his proposition and agree to be his wife. If not, we run away.”

“I don’t know, Regina.” Daniel shakes his head, and Regina realizes she’s never seen him so worried before. “It’s too risky. He may change his mind after the wedding.”

“Please, trust me on this.” She begs. “Daniel, if he changes his mind after the wedding, we can run away then. It’s going to be fine. But for now we have to think about less drastic way to solve our problems. This marriage may be a good thing,” she tries to sound hopeful.

“I don’t want to lose you,” he tells her and she wraps her arms around his waist, rests her head against his chest, over his rapidly beating heart.

“You won’t. I promise.”

(…)

The next morning Regina wakes up with the Sun, finds her father and asks him to arrange the meeting with Mr. Locksley. Henry looks overjoyed, pulls her into his arms and kisses her cheeks, tells her that it’s her best decision even though she didn’t tell him what she decided.

The meeting is arranged the same day after lunch. Henry tells everyone that it’s a political meeting between two kingdoms and Mother rolls her eyes, tells that she’s uninterested and leaves the castle for the day.

Regina smiles at that, relieved. She really doesn’t need her mother breathing against her neck when she discusses such a serious proposition.

Mr. Locksley travels on time. He’s smiling as always, his deep blue eyes shining as he shakes hands with Henry and nods at Regina. The older man ushers them into the council room, tells them that he will be back in an hour and leaves them to talk alone.

When the door is closed behind Regina’s father, she sighs and closes her eyes for a moment. She’s been thinking about this meeting for hours now, has been thinking about the words she was going to say but now everything seems wrong.

Opening her eyes, she starts, “Mr. Lockls-“

“My name is Robin, Regina,” the man in front of her reminds needlessly.

Regina shifts uncomfortably, inhales and corrects herself, “Robin. I’ve made my decision.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“But first I need you to hear and agree to my terms.” She tells him. He raises an eyebrow at her but nods, and Regina feels confident enough to continue, “I want our stable boy to live with us in your castle or whatever you live in.”

Robin looks at her for a moment and she can see that he’s skeptical but then he sighs and smiles a bit, agrees. “Okay.”

“Okay? Just like that?” she asks, disbelieving. “No questions? Nothing? I hope you do understand that the stable boy is my… lover.” The last word is whispered because even though she knows her mother is away and there’s no way she could hear that, it’s better to be safe.

Robin nods and walks closer to her, takes her hands in his. She wants to take a step back but his sincere voice makes her stop, “I know that this is not the life you’ve always dreamt about. But I still want you to be happy. So of course he could live with us, I’ll find him some kind of a job so he could be near you at all times but no one would suspect that there’s something between the two of you.” He then smiles, “We will make it work. I want you to be happy in my castle, Regina.”

“I don’t understand why you want to marry me,” she tells him, shaking her head, finally taking a step back and he releases her hand, gives her space. He seems like a good man, and she’s sure he could find a woman who would love him _and_  give him an heir. And he would be much happier then. And yet he chooses her.  “You will not get any love from me.”

“As I said before, my family demands for a grandchild because they want to keep the throne.” He says and she tells him that she already knows that. “I don’t want any relationship because my heart belongs to someone else as well, Regina, and I cannot be with her. I will never be able to, so I want to do a good thing and safe you from an awful marriage and, at the same time, shut up my family.”

She looks at him, doubting.

 “I just need someone who would understand that I don’t need love, that I don’t expect it. I don’t want someone who could fall in love with me because I couldn’t return these feelings. Now you should understand why you’re perfect for that.” He continues, “I will help you to get your happiness while you, in return, give me a child and help to make my family happy.”

She thinks that it’s an awful idea. There’s no way they’re going to make this work. This is too good to be truth.

“However, your stable boy won’t be able to live with us right away,” he adds and Regina’s eyes turn wide. “I need to be sure that the baby is mine. There are ways to see whose child it is, trust me. If something happens to me and someone figures out the child is not mine, you’ll be killed or thrown out of the castle.”

“I-“ she stutters. She didn’t think about it. But yes, he’s right. Though, it doesn’t mean that Daniel has to be away. “I promise you that I won’t-“

“I trust you, Regina,” he tells her and she wants to laugh at the absurdity of it – they both trust each other although it’s only a second time they’re talking. “It’s him I don’t trust.”

Regina shakes her head to herself. She already knows that Daniel won’t be happy with this, it’s already hard for them. And now, now Robin is changing the rules.

What is she supposed to do?

“I promise you, you’ll be able to see him as much as you’d like.” Robin assures her then, taking a step closer. “He’ll be staying in one of our castles until you’re with a child and as soon as that happens, he’s free to come back.”

She looks at him skeptically.

“I promise that to you.”

Regina shakes her head to herself. It’s awful that she has to marry someone who’s not Daniel but that someone looks like a really good person and she prays to all the Gods above that he’s really good and it’s not just an act.

Inhaling shakily, she says, “I accept your proposal.” Her head is held high as if not to let him see that the thought of actually marrying him is terrifying her, as if to stop him from seeing that her legs and hands are shaking.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Robin smiles and surprises her by pulling her into a hug. She finds that his touch is not as unwelcome as she thought it will be. “There are more things we need to discuss but I think we need to announce our engagement first to make sure you’re saved from the King. Then we’ll have plenty of time to prepare and talk about everything.”

“I suppose you’re right,” she tells him, voice shaking. She feels a few tears running down her cheeks as she closes her eyes and sighs shakily.

This is really happening.

(…)

Mother is furious. She’s smiling at Robin but Regina can see that her smile is fake. But Regina keeps herself neutral, tries to act surprised and sad (not that she needs to pretend to be sad, she already is that), when Robin kneels in front of her and offers a ring, to make sure that mother doesn’t understand that this is all an act, that they’ve already discussed their marital life and things.

Regina’s standing there beside Robin as he and Henry announce to the whole kingdom that princess Regina is getting married. She finds Daniel in the crowd of cheering people, his eyes piercing right through her soul but she forces herself to smile because they’re going to be together.

A ring and a vow mean nothing when you love someone as much as she loves him.


	2. Chapter 2

Regina is pulled out of restful sleep by a strange ache in her neck. Groaning, she tries to turn her face to the other side in order to lessen the pain, her eyes remaining closed in hopes that once she’s more comfortable, she can continue sleeping.

However, when she tries to turn her head to the side, her cheek comes in contact with something very warm. The position makes her neck hurt even more, but the warmness make her purr.

For a moment she just lies there, in this uncomfortable position, and tries to fall asleep again, ignoring her cramping muscles and aching neck. She sighs a bit at the amazing feeling of the warmth against her cheek, snuggling closer to the source of that warmth, enjoying the welcoming warm weight on her belly. Even the slight scratching of hay against her whole body and horse breeding doesn’t turn down her enjoyment.

Oh my gods!

All of a sudden realization hits her, her eyes shooting open as she jumps from the hay she’s been sleeping on. Desperately looking around, Regina realizes that she’s still in the stables, she didn’t leave like she intended to.

She spent the whole damn night in here with Daniel!

She didn’t mean to fall asleep here, no way, but she felt so relaxed and everything seemed so meaningless that she let her eyes close for a moment. She intended to stay a while, then kiss Daniel goodbye and leave.

But she felt asleep.

Stupid girl!

Turning to look to her side, she finds Daniel still sleeping beside her, snoring quietly. His arm has fallen away from her belly when she jumped but it looks like he’s too deep in sleep to realize that Regina is wide awake and panicking.

With a rapidly beating heart, Regina forces herself to turn away from her lover and pulls a blanket, which Daniel brought for them yesterday, closer to her naked chest, looking around for her dress.

Damn it! What, if mother found out that she’s been away from the castle the whole night?

She’ll be screwed.

Finally Regina notices her dress thrown on the fence. She bottles up the need to take a moment and memorize Daniel’s features, run her fingers all over him and wake him up with kisses, and gets up from the hay, rushes to take her dress and put it on as quietly as possible in order not to wake Daniel up for she’s sure he wouldn’t let her go, try to change her mind like he did yesterday.

But she will not change her mind. Not now.

Once dressed, Regina ignores her aching muscles (she feels sore in places she hasn’t even thought could get sore), and turns around to leave.

But her heart makes her turn around.

She cannot leave like that.

Quickly she makes her way to where Daniel is still sleeping. Her cheeks turn all shades of pink as she catches a red stop of blood on the hay. There’s no time to be embarrassed, she reminds herself as she pulls the blanket over Daniel’s naked body, leans over and kisses his forehead and then lips.

A single tear runs down her cheeks as she turns around and rushes to the castle.

She has a wedding to attend.

(…)

Standing behind her chamber’s door, Regina takes a steading breath. She runs her fingers through her hair trying to fix it as much as possible, takes out strays of hay and then with one last deep inhale she pushes the door open and enters the room.

To her surprise, there are too many people in her chambers. Some of them she knows (maids from their castle) but majority of them is strangers and she feels her heart starting to beat faster again.

When the door behind her close, they all turn to stare at her, most of their faces are disapproving.

“Regina!” Mother appears out of nowhere, her exclamation making Regina flinch. “Where have you been?”

“I’ve been on a walk,” she lies, trying to sound as convincing as possible. “I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t sleep,” she adds and looks down when Cora narrows her eyes, her face twisted with anger.

For a moment the chamber is surrounded by silence, Regina can hear her own rapidly beating heart while her mother looks her up and down.

Regina is surprised (and relieved) when Cora just rolls her eyes and waves her hand towards the maids, motioning for them to start their work.

The sigh Regina lets out when the maids surround her is full of relief. She doesn’t like those people, doesn’t like them touching her and curling her hair and doing her make-up, and dressing her, she hates all of it, but at least her mother didn’t find out about her nightly adventures.

It takes a long while for the bride to be ready but, finally, six hours later Regina is being walked to the carriage in her white wedding gown.

 (…)

They’ve waited. They’ve waited until Regina turned eighteen and then waited a little bit more, until she finally felt that there was no reason to try to avoid this marriage. Sooner or later, she’ll have to marry Robin anyway.

But now when the moment has come, Regina shifts her weight from one leg to the other nervously, looking down at her hands, wondering if she’s made a good decision. Robin was willing to wait, perhaps she should’ve used it and delay this wedding as long as possible…

No! She did the right choice.

Mother has become a real evil towards Regina. She started counting Regina’s bites and scolded her for eating at all because she’ll _never fit her wedding dress if she eats like that,_ or if she hunches, Robin may change his mind and not want to marry her. As if her harsh words weren’t enough, Cora cut off

And Regina couldn’t take it anymore. She couldn’t see Daniel anymore, she was controlled and scolded and humiliated in every step she took.

She doesn’t know what is waiting her in Robin’s castle but she hopes that she’ll never feel there as bad as she did in her own home.

 “You have to hold your head high, Regina, you’re going to be the Queen,” Mother’s harsh voice snaps her out of her thoughts and she immediately looks up, her eyes huge as she stares at her mother.

Her blood is boiling and she wants to scream right into Cora’s face just how much she hates her, but Regina keeps her emotions to herself and forces a smile.

Just a few minutes and she’ll be free.

Or she will be taken from one prison to another, who knows.

(…)

Everything around Regina is spinning. She’s being walked to the altar by her father and if he wasn’t holding her hand as tightly as he is, she would have fallen down on first steps.

Her legs feel like logs, she cannot bend them, she barely lifts when as she walks, her hands are shaking so bad, she’s clattering her teeth but it’s not from cold.

She’s never been this nervous.

For a few moments it seems like she’s not even there, like her soul felt her body.

She blinks her eyes when Daddy releases her hand and it’s replaced by another, a stronger one. She looks up, startled, and finds Robin looking back at her, smiling encouragingly. He says something but she doesn’t hear it, she just turns her head down.

It happens all too quickly. One moment someone is talking, the other Regina is turned towards Robin and she looks at him with teary eyes as he says the vows, and then she repeats, she doesn’t even know how she manages to do it.

And then the gown is lifted from her face and Robin is whispering something to her again and then he’s leaning over and pressing his lips against hers.

She’s no longer Regina Mills.

Now she’s The Queen of Sherwood.

Regina of Locksley.

(…)

Regina doesn’t really know how she reaches the carriage, it all happens in a blur. However, here she is, sitting in the carriage, already married to a man sitting right beside her. She blinks her eyes for a few times, forces herself to come back to reality.

“Are you cold, Regina?” he asks when their eyes meet, his expression giving away that he’s worried. Regina frowns in confusion. “You’re shaking,” he adds, motioning to her hands on her lap.

Only then does she realize that she’s shaking indeed. Shaking a lot.

“I’ve just got married,” she simply tells him, her voice so quiet, she wonders if he’s even heard her.

But the sigh he lets out is enough of an answer.

Robin knew from the very beginning of their arrangement that this wedding wasn’t something she wanted. But she knew that it was a better offer than marriage to the King, that’s why she chose it and he’s aware of her reasons to agree to marry him.

She thought it is better to be tied to a man who is not three times older than her.

Even though this marriage is a better choice, she still feels caged. And her now-husband must realize it too.

Robin says something from beside her but Regina chooses not to hear it. She’s so lost in her thoughts, she just lets her eyes close as a few tears fall down her cheeks.

 (…)

Their wedding is wonderful. The church has been beautifully decorated and so is the whole hall where the ball is taking place. The place is decorated with forest flowers and leaves, something that represent the family, the served food is so delicious. Everyone keeps laughing and engaging in conversations with one another, all the while praising the Locksley family for making such an amazing wedding ball.

However, as happy as the quests are, the same couldn’t be said about the bride. Regina hasn’t tried any meal, nor did she enjoy the decorations. The entire ball she spent sitting beside Robin, looking down at her plate with her eyes full of tears. She smiled politely to people who come to congratulate them, though, but that was it.

Truth be told, she cannot find a reason why she feels so devastated. She agreed to this marriage herself, she dictated most of the rules of the arrangement, yet she finds herself crying at every chance she gets.

She supposes the reason for her crying could be that she’s leaving behind her childhood. She’s leaving home, even if she felt like a prisoner there, it’s home. She’s leaving everything behind. She’s leaving Daniel for who knows how long.

She cannot be the careless girl she used to be, now she’s a wife and soon she’ll have to be a mother. She’s opening the new page of her life that scares her too much.

 “You look awfully sad, dear girl.”

Regina jumps from the royal chair as soon as the voice of the old woman reaches her ears. She doesn’t bother to look up, she just bows politely to her mother-in law, whispers a greeting in a shaky voice.

“Your Majesty.”

When she first met Robin and found out his family were demanding for him to make an heir, she imagined his family to be like her mother – snobby, feeless, ambitious. Yet when she met Robin’s mother for the first time, she realized that the woman is actually completely different from what Regina imagined her to be.

Although she didn’t get a chance to talk to the woman herself (her mother was talking all the time, about Regina and her beauty, and things that shouldn’t be told to strangers), she understood that the woman had a good heart. She’d opposed to Regina’s mother who wanted them to marry as soon as possible, told that Regina needed to be eighteen at least (it surprised Regina a lot).  She must have also sensed Regina’s uneasiness that time for she assured her that she’ll find happiness here and that Robin is a really good man who will make her happy.

After meeting Robin’s family, Regina realized that his family actually wanted him to have a family. They needed an heir but it wasn’t just a tool to keep the throne. They were ready to love the child unconditionally.

“Darling, we’re family now. There’s no need for these formalities anymore,” Robin mother’s sweet voice snaps Regina out of her thoughts.

Nervously she looks up from the ground, a small, uncertain smile playing on her lips.

The older woman sits down and motions for Regina to do the same. She does, sits down in her previous place, her gaze falling down to her shaky hands again.

Why the hell is she so nervous?

“Robin is a really good man, Regina, and I’m not saying that just because he’s my son,” Mrs. Locksley’s warn hand touches Regina’s forearm in a comforting manner. “My son won’t put you in harm’s way, I can assure you. You won’t be miserable in this marriage, I would never let that happen.”

Regina inhales shakily, “Thank you, Mrs. Locksley.”

The older woman just smiles encouragingly, but doesn’t say anything. They sit in silence then, and surprisingly the silence is not an uncomfortable one. For the first time this night Regina sighs in actual relief, she feels better, safer even with this wonderful woman beside her.

She feels like, maybe, just maybe, someone understands her.

 (…)

Mother told Regina way too many times what to do on her wedding night. She’s been told that the maids will help her change from the wedding gown to another one for her wedding night, she’s been told that they will fix her hair and wipe away her make-up, prepare her for what’s to come.

When Regina was invited by a very nice maid to follow her to their chambers, she expected to be surrounded by people again and the thought made her tremble again.

So when she enters the chamber and finds it empty, the sigh she lets out is full of relief. The maid politely tells her that Mr. Locksley will soon come and join her, and then disappears from the huge and cold room.

Regina feels relieved for a moment but now that she’s alone with her own thoughts, she finds herself trembling again. The chamber is dark and much bigger than her room. It makes her feel like she’s suffocating again.

What, if Robin’s changed his mind? What, if he comes into the chambers and says that their arrangement is annulled and that she’s his wife who has no rights?

The thought makes Regina sit down on the edge of the huge bed for her legs start shaking too bad. Nervously she starts playing with her fingers and reminds herself that Robin’s mother assured her that he’s not going to hurt her, he said so himself too many times to count as well.

But his family is _insisting_ for a grandchild as soon as possible. The sooner it happen the better.

There’s a bile raising up her throat and her eyes fill with tears for the umpteenth time.

Before the tears start falling down her cheeks, she hears the crack of the door and quickly puts herself under control, wipes her cheeks just in case a tear managed to slip down.

Robin enters the room and closes the door behind himself. He’s illuminated by the candles lit up there; he’s smiling brightly at her, holding a bottle of champagne in his hands.

Regina stands up, not even understanding why she did that, and stares at Robin with wide fearful eyes. It feel as if her heart is going to jump out of her chest.

His face drops as soon as he sees Regina, all nervous and shaking.

He quickly recovers, though.  “You looked stunning today,” he praises carefully, walking further into the chamber slowly as if to judge her reaction. His bright eyes are now filled with worry as he approaches her. “Regina, please, don’t be afraid of me.”

“I am not,” she replies too quickly, it’s too obvious she’s lying.

Robin frowns.

“Really?” he asks with an arched eyebrow and takes a step closer to her as if to prove his point.

 She steps back, her legs shaking badly. It’s one thing to trust him when he has no right over her and completely another when she literally belongs to him according to this kingdom’s law.

“We have a deal, you and I. I think we discussed things before. You have nothing to be afraid of, you made the rules yourself.” He reminds her.

“You could change your mind.”

“So could you.”

They stare at each other, and it doesn’t take long until Robin sighs defeated. He puts the bottle of champagne down on the table in the room and lifts his hands up in surrender. “I didn’t change my mind,” he amends in what she hopes is a sincere tone. “I promise not to put you in harm’s way, but please, don’t be afraid.”

For a moment she just stares at him, still doubting his honesty. After all, she spent her whole life living with a manipulative mother so she’s aware that he could be playing to get her to trust him. He could make her trust him, make her mind dizzy with alcohol and then do whatever wicked plan he has in mind.

But, on the other hand, if he really wanted _that_ , he could take it even in this moment, and no one would say a word about it.

“Why don’t we sit down?” Robin’s voice snaps her out of her thoughts and Regina lifts her gaze from her hands to look at him. He’s looking at her with a small yet encouraging smile and she realizes that her fears will not change anything.

What has to happen will happen. It doesn’t matter if she wants it or not.

With a sigh, Regina gives in and nods her head.

She makes herself comfortable (as comfortable as she can be in a situation like this) on the bed while Robin opens a bottle of champagne and pours it into the glasses he took out of the closet just moments ago.

He takes his time, puts the bottle down on the table, looks at the glasses for a moment and only then he turns around and gives Regina one of the glasses.

She takes it and adds, this time without hesitation or lie, “I trust you.”

The smile that forms on Robin’s face after her words surprises Regina. It makes her wonder if her being comfortable her actually means this much to him.

Still smiling at her warmly, he raises his glass up. “To us,” he says, clicking his glass against hers.

Regina takes a moment to watch Robin as he drinks. He looks much more relaxed now that she’s told him she somehow trust him.

 Yes, she told him she trusts him and she thinks she actually does – after all, she agreed to marry him on such conditions – yet she still feels uneasy.

That’s what this drink is for, she thinks as she takes a first sip and finds that the drink takes very nice.

“What will happen with the ball now that we are here?” Regina asks in hopes that communication will keep her mind away from awful imagines in her head.

 “Most of the guests have already left,” Robin says, putting his glass down on the table. “However, the rest of the Kings are here to get drunk for free so that’s exactly what they’ll be doing now that we are not there anymore.”

She rolls her. “They are disgusting.”

“Indeed.”

Regina finds herself looking at Robin, and he’s doing the same. The silence surrounds them, and the only thing Regina can hear is her still rapidly beating heart that is trying to find its normal rhythm again.

Robin takes his glass, finishes his drink and stands up, pours himself another glass, then fills Regina’s glass too. They drink and Robin starts the conversation, telling her about other weddings he attended and how hilarious they all were.

And as Regina listens to him, she feels herself relaxing more and more with each word.

Perhaps it’s alcohol that’s putting her at ease. But it can also be Robin’s voice, she’s not sure.

However, all of a sudden Robin changes the topic completely, making Regina choke on her drink.

 “We still have so many things to discuss about our own marriage,” Robin says and Regina feels herself tensing up again as she puts the glass down on her table, struggling to breathe again.

She doesn’t want to think about any of it anymore, not right now. She is so tired, if she could, she would be sleeping by now, not sitting here and nervously discussing things that are far too important to be discussed after such a long day.

“Yes,” she agrees nonetheless, despite her displeasure about talking about this thing. “For example, when do you want to start making a baby?” She asks, trying to act as brave as she can. It seems clever to start with the question that has tortured her most.

“It’s not only me, Regina, but us.” He tells her, shaking his head at her choice of words. “This is our arrangement, and we both get to decide what we do and when.”

She sees her opportunity so she quickly says, “I want to wait.”

“I figured that out already,” he tells her as if it was obvious. “We need to be comfortable with one another and _not afraid_ of each other. Otherwise, it’s not going to work.”

Regina doubts that she will ever be comfortable around him but doesn’t say it out loud.

“You’ll tell me when you’re ready.” He continues to speak, “And then we’ll discuss everything else. Alright? But, please, remember that you don’t have to feel any pressure because of that,” he tells her, and his hand lands on hers.

Regina is surprised that his touch isn’t as unwelcome as she thought it would be.

“You tell me that we can wait as long as I want and I’m very thankful for that,” she admits sincerely. “But if I wait, it means that I’ll not see Daniel.”

“That means he’ll not live with us in the palace. But you _can_ see him,” Robin assures her. “I’m not going to keep the man you love away from you just because you don’t want to sleep with me.”

She looks at him with wide eyes. She wasn’t expecting that. It was already hard to believe that Robin agreed to let Daniel live with them after she becomes pregnant. She wouldn’t have imagined in her wildest dreams that he would let them see one another until she’s with a child.

“There’s nothing wrong with waiting,” he repeats his words. “If I could, I would let him live with us just now but you know I can’t risk it. We have a deal. And until one part of the deal is fulfilled, I can offer you just seeing him from time to time.”

Regina doesn’t know what to think. She doesn’t like this man but he shows her kindness that no one has ever shown in her entire life.

She would be lying if she’s said she wasn’t touched by it.

“Th-thank you.” She manages, tears shining in her eyes.

He just smiles at her and raises his glass up at her in silent toast before emptying it. 

“Why are you so good to me?” she cannot help but ask, her voice trembling with emotion.

Robin doesn’t reply for a moment. His eyes turn awfully sad as he stares to the glass in his hands. Regina shifts on the bed, uncomfortable that she’s touched what looks like such a delicate topic.

Robin inhales shakily and finally says, “I can’t be with the woman I love and I don’t want the same happen to you. I want you to have happiness in your life.” His voice is so truthful; she feels her heart starting to beat faster again.

Maybe this marriage is not a bad thing, after all.

“Thank you,” she says again, not knowing what else to say.

“I will say this again and again – I want you to be happy. I want you to trust me, to not to be afraid of me. In every case. I don’t set the rules here, neither do you. We will both decide what we will do with this marriage, together. Alright?”

“Alright.”

“We will make this work, Regina,” Robin assures her one more time.

And as stupid as it sounds, she believes him.


	3. Chapter 3

When Regina emerges from her chambers, the hallways seem empty. Sighing in relief she pulls the sheet tighter around herself and makes her way towards Robin’s room. However, when she turns to the right hallway in which end is her destination, she hears voices of maids.

Amazing.

Swallowing hard at the uneasy feeling in her stomach, Regina reminds herself that there’s nothing wrong with maids catching her walking to Robin’s room. In fact, it would make their situation better – no one would have a reason to think that their marriage is just a lie.

With one last encouraging inhale, Regina continues to walk towards Robin’s room. Surprisingly, the maids don’t even acknowledge her presence.

 When nobody turns to look at her, Regina realizes that they’re discussing something. Curiosity wins over and Regina slows her steps, tries to listen to what they’re talking about.

“I heard there’s a new man working in the winter palace,” one of the maids says.

Another adds, “He came from Mr. Locksley wife’s castle.”

“I heard he’s hot.”

A bubble of giggles echoes in empty corridors and Regina quickly resumes walking, tugging the sheet even tighter around herself – she really doesn’t need maids to know that she heard them gossiping. Though she’s glad that they haven’t noticed her – who knows how long it would have taken her to find out that Daniel is finally here, somewhere.

When Regina is sure that the maids cannot see her anymore, she slows her steps again and grins to herself, her heart beating fast in her chest from happiness. Robin’s finally fulfilled his part of the deal and Daniel is in Sherwood.

It doesn’t take a minute until Regina finally walks into Robin’s chambers and closes the door behind her, a huge smile on her face.

 Robin emerges from the balcony after hearing her walking in and greets her with a small smile, “Good evening, milady.”

Regina returns the greeting and walks further into the room. “What are we going to do tonight?” she asks as she takes off the sheet from her shoulders and sits down on the edge of his bed, looking at Robin.

 From the day they’ve been married, they decided to meet at least one time a week so that no one would have a reason to wonder whether or not their marriage is a farce. At first, Regina felt extremely uncomfortable walking from her chamber to his late in the evening, but it doesn’t bother her that much anymore.

In the beginning, things have been awkward between the two of them. Regina would come into his chambers and they would sit down and try to make a conversation of some sorts but it would die rather soon and they would just sit in silence for the rest of the time.

However, soon the awkwardness disappeared and they found talking easier. They shared their childhood stories and more interesting parts of their days, asked questions trying to get to know each other – even if their marriage was a farce, they will still stay husband and wife for the rest of their lives, so getting to know each other seemed like a conscious step.

Robin smirks at her before turning around and taking something from the nightstand. Curiously, Regina looks as he turns around. Her jaw drops open in surprise as she sees that Robin’s holding a chess board in his hands.

During their last ‘date’, Regina mentioned to Robin that she used to play chess with her father every Sunday evening, it was their little tradition. It seems like Robin actually listened to her.

“Are you up for a game, milady?” Robin asks, chuckling at Regina’s reaction. Regina nods her head instantly, and he sits down on the bed, opening the board and taking the figures out.

(…)

Regina is a brilliant chess player. She’s been playing for as long as she can remember, but tonight her mind is wandering, all she can think about is Daniel, and quickly she loses some of her pawns. She tries to push thoughts about her lover away, tries to concentrate on the board in front of her and the game, but then another pawn of her is lost from a very stupid move.

“What’s on your mind?” Robin’s unexpected question startles her and she finally snaps out of her thoughts and looks up from the board to him. He arches an eyebrow at her and points out, “You make very stupid mistakes. Your father must have been a very terrible player if you’d always won.”

Regina sighs, “I am thinking about something else.” When Robin encourages her to continue she admits, “On my way here I overheard maids talking that there’s a new staff member in Winter palace.”

Robin’s confused face turns into a small smile as he shakes his head a bit.

“Those maids just ruined my surprise for you,” Robin says, making Regina’s eyes widen. A surprise? “I planned to tell you that Daniel is finally here as a reward for your winning.”

“What?” Regina asks, her voice full of shock. “What, if I didn’t win?”

“It is not possible.”

“I’m actually losing right now.”

“That’s because your mind is occupied by other things.  I’m sure I would be beaten by now if you actually concentrated on the game.”

Regina smiles a bit – that’s true. Robin is a terrible player, it would be an easy win.

However, Regina shifts on the bed uneasily and asks, “Could I… see Daniel someday?”

“Of course,” Robin’s reply is instant and without hesitation, as if it couldn’t be otherwise. “We can go there tomorrow morning, if you want.”

“Are you serious?” Regina asks, tears collecting in the corners of her eyes. During those few weeks of their marriage, she found out that Robin is a really good man, but she didn’t expect him to be so willing and let her see Daniel as soon as she asked – after all, she hasn’t fulfilled her part of the deal, she hasn’t even tried.

“Yes,” Robin nods his head, smiling at her warmly.

Regina doesn’t know what comes over her, but she feels so thankful that she stands up from the bed and takes a few steps towards Robin and wraps her arms around him tightly. He lets out a surprised chuckle but hugs her back just as tightly.

When Regina realizes what she’s doing, she pulls away from him and embarrassed returns to her previous place. Feeling her cheeks heating, she clears her throat at apologizes, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-“

“It’s okay,” Robin insists, still smiling. “I’m glad I can finally see you happy.”

 Regina smiles back at him and nods her head – it is the first time when she feels actually happy here. Still smiling, she turns back to the board of chess and focuses.

Half an hour later, she wins the game.

(…)

Regina barely sleeps that night.

She wakes up a few hours before sunrise. Knowing that sleeping is out of options, she just lies in bed for a while, staring at the ceiling, her heart fluttering from excitement with each beat. A smile spreads across her face as she thinks that after only a few hours she’ll see Daniel.

Since her wedding day, one part of her, the negative one, tried to convince her that she will never see him again. She tried her best not to believe it, and most of the time she succeeded. However, there were times when these thoughts were just too much and she broke down, losing her faith.

Finally, the torment is over.

She’s finally going to see Daniel.

Two months. They haven’t seen each other for two long and lonely months that Regina spent staring blankly at the ceiling or out of the window, wondering whether or not she did the right decision when she agreed to marry Robin.

Robin proved to be nothing but a great man but still there were moments when she thought that running away with Daniel might have been a better option than to fall into this crazy agreement. She would then remind herself what her mother is capable of, and she would realize that this marriage might be one of the wisest things Regina’s ever done.

She is actually going to see Daniel today!

Spurred on by that thought, Regina gets up from bed and walks into the closet. Looking through her clothes, she chooses one of the most beautiful dresses she has – the blue one (Daniel’s favorite color) and makes her way back into the room.

After washing her face, she slowly and carefully puts on the dress. Then she puts on some powder thoroughly and brushes her long dark hair, leaving them down – another thing that Daniel loves.

To be honest, he’s never really cared about appearances. She could dress in rags and he would still find her beautiful, but she wanted to actually look beautiful when she sees him again.

Smiling to her reflection in the mirror, she runs her hands down her dress, smoothing the non-existent wrinkles.

Putting herself under control, Regina leaves her chambers and makes her way to the dining room. Robin’s mother is very observant, the last thing she needs is the older woman asking what made Regina so happy.

Surprisingly, Robin is the only one sitting there, his gaze concentrated on the piece of paper in his hands. For a brief moment Regina wonders if she’s lost the track of time and is now late for breakfast. Shaking her head she pushes that thought away – she will not let being late ruin her day.

“Good morning,” Regina says, clearing her throat, as she sits in front of Robin to the table.

He lifts his gaze from the paper and looks at her, surprised by her cheerful tone.

“Good morning to you too,” he smiles and then states, “I see someone is uncharacteristically happy this morning.”

Regina feels a blush creeping up on her cheeks. “Thanks to you,” she tells him sincerely as a smile spreads across her face.

She doesn’t remember the last time she’s been so happy.

(…)

Regina’s excitement is all over the place. She cannot stop smiling, her heart is beating fast from anticipation of the meeting. Her stomach is fluttering with butterflies, and she barely eats during breakfast.

Perhaps it is a good thing that Robin’s mother is not at a breakfast table, after all. Otherwise she would suspect that something is off and start asking questions that should be answered with lies.

After finishing their breakfast, Robin and Regina finally make their way to the yard where the carriage is already waiting for them. Robin helps Regina to get in first and then he follows, sits down beside her and their journey begin.

(…)

It turns out that this winter palace is a few hours away which means that a long and tiring journey is awaiting for them. It doesn’t kill Regina’s enthusiasm, though; nothing could ruin her day right now.

For a long while, they sit in silence. Regina’s too busy lost in her own head, thinking about what she should tell Daniel when she sees him. The last time they were together, he objected to her marriage and was in a way angry with her until she shut him up with a kiss that lead to so much more.

“Should I be cautious?”

Robin’s voice snaps Regina out of her thoughts. She turns from the window to him, with an eyebrow arched in confusion.

“What?”

“Doesn’t your lover hate me?” Robin asks with a chuckle. “In a way, I stole you from him.”

“You do know that you saved our relationship,” Regina reminds him, feeling grateful. If it weren’t for Robin, she could be King Leopold’s wife by now and she would have to forget about Daniel forever. Shifting a bit, she makes herself more comfortable and admits, “Daniel doesn’t like you but I don’t think he’s planning a murder.”

“Good to know,” Robin tells her, chuckling and Regina cannot help but smile too.

A few hours pass, and with each beat of her heart, Regina’s excitement only grows. She feels like a little girl on Yule’s morning, waiting for the permission to open presents. Her head is full of thoughts, her heart is beating rapidly in her chest, and for a moment she thinks she might lose her mind if she sits there in silence with nothing but Daniel on her mind.

“Tell me about this palace,” Regina asks quietly.

Robin smiles and nods his head, begins immediately, “Well, it was supposed to be our home.” Regina looks at him curiously, she did not expect that. “My parents were supposed to live where we are living now while my family and I lived in the palace that used to be called ‘Winter’ long time ago. However, when my father was killed, I felt like I couldn’t leave my mother all alone. She was devastated already, and it would make it so much worse if she was left to live alone.”

Regina nods her head in understanding. Mrs. Locksley doesn’t seem devastated anymore, she smiles and laughs and even attends parties, but sometimes Regina catches her staring blackly at something, the usual smile gone from her face.

“So now this Winter palace will be our child’s home.”

Regina cannot help but look down at her hands, her eyes wide.

Robin senses the change in her demeanor quickly and apologizes immediately, “Regina, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

She knows that, she really does. And it shouldn’t make her uncomfortable anymore – she made up her mind and she thinks that she might be ready to try and fulfill her part of their agreement, but sometimes she still finds herself doubting and … afraid.

“You didn’t, it’s just-

Just as she’s about to finish her sentence, they finally reach the dark metal gates of the palace, and words die in her throat – in a few moments she’s going to see Daniel.

(…)

Regina wraps her hand around Robin’s elbow as they make their way into the palace. Her heart is threatening to jump out of her chest, her palms are sweaty, her legs shaking underneath her.

After two months of heartache and waiting, she’s going to see Daniel again.

First, Robin shows Regina around – they walk through the huge hall, glance at the garden through the window, then he leads her to the kitchen which is empty (as every other place they’ve entered, it seems like no one is here). Finally they make their way to the staff quarters, and most of them are empty as well.

Robin’s told her that this palace is empty, only a few guards are protecting it from bandits, but she has never thought that it would be _this_ empty.

Walking through the dark hallways, Regina wonders whether or not she’ll see Daniel. Perhaps he’s in the woods with others, perhaps it’s his day off and he’s not even here…

But then they finally enter one last room in the dark hallway and Regina’s heart stops beating.

“Daniel!” she exclaims and rushes further into the small room, tears filling her eyes immediately.

Daniel turns around immediately, his eyes wide, mouth opened in surprise when he sees Regina. He obviously didn’t expect to see her, and he blinks his eyes repeatedly as if making sure that all of this is not a dream.

Regina doesn’t waste another moment and runs straight to him. He lets out a surprised gasp when she wraps her arms around him tightly, and his own find their way around her back as he buries his face into her neck.

All of a sudden, the excitement bubble breaks and all Regina can feel is just how much she’s actually missed him. She tries to hold herself together but her efforts are useless and before she knows it, tears are running down her cheeks.

Daniel’s arms only tighten around her as he whispers her name into her hair, his voice shaking. He inhales her scent and she feels herself crying even more.

For a few long moments that’s all they do – hold each other as Regina cries and Daniel struggles not to.

Finally, her hold on him loosens and she pulls away a bit, quickly wiping the tears away from her cheeks. She inhales shakily and looks at Daniel’s face, and he’s actually here, right in front of her, his arms still wrapped around her waist.

A huge smile spreads across her face, and she cannot help herself, she leans over and presses her lips against his. It’s only a feather light touch, but full of longing and pure love, that makes butterflies erupt in her stomach again.

“I’ve missed you so much,” Regina whispers when they part.

For a brief moment, they stare at one another, but then Daniel is leaning over and pressing his lips against her again. This time the kiss is different, it’s more firm and more passionate, and Regina opens her mouth, deepening it.

All of a sudden, their little bubble explodes when Robin clears his throat from behind them. Unwillingly Regina tears herself away from Daniel, her cheeks turning pink as she turns to look at Robin embarrassed.

She completely forgot that he was in the room.

“Hello, Daniel,” Robin says politely when his eyes met Daniel’s, stretching his hand out for a shake.

Regina can feel how Daniel’s whole body tenses, and she quickly squeezes his hand until he turns to look at her. She smiles at him assuring that it’s fine, and he finally swallows hard and turns back to Robin.

“Mr. Locksley,” his voice is cold, and Regina watches with wide eyes how he shakes Robin’s hand.

“I’m sorry to ruin your moment, but I think you should head somewhere more private, somewhere where another staff member couldn’t walk in,” Robin offers.

Regina’s eyelids sink closed – she was so happy to see Daniel, she hasn’t even thought about other staff members walking in on them.

She nods her head and takes Daniel’s hand in hers, smiling at him. She quickly pecks his lips one more time before dragging him out of the room and following Robin to wherever it is he’s leading them.

(…)

“I’ll be right here,” Robin says pointing to an old dusty bed, “If someone comes in, I’ll drop my book to the floor so you know that it’s time to pretend that Daniel was showing you the borders of the palace.”

Regina nods her head, whispers a quiet ‘thank you, Robin’, and then she is dragging Daniel into the balcony where Robin cannot see them anymore. All she can see now is forest, and it makes her sigh – they are safe here.

Suddenly she feels Daniel’s arm wrapping around her waist and then he’s turning her towards him. When their eyes met, Regina smiles and leans over to press their lips together again. It’s such a wonderful feeling to kiss him again after weeks of thinking that she might never see him again.

When their lips part, Daniel pulls away a bit and stares at her face. His gaze is hard and unknown to Regina, and he slowly moves it down her neck and shoulders and then he’s taking her hands in his and lifting it a bit so that her hands are not covered by the sleeves of her dress.

“What are you doing?” she asks, confused.

Daniel swallows hard and looks her in the eye, asks in a whisper, “Did he hurt you?”

Regina shakes her head immediately, her eyes wide. “Of course not,” she assures him, her voice firm, with no hesitation.

For the first time Regina realizes that for him all this waiting must have been ten times worse. She lived in a castle, pretended to be a good wife in front of people, and behind closed doors they were just two strangers who sat in silence or played chess.

But Daniel didn’t know that. He knew about the agreement they’ve made before their wedding, but he had no idea if Robin was following the rules. Daniel didn’t know if Regina was safe, he didn’t know if he was going to ever see her again.

It must have been a torture for him.

Feeling a lump forming in her throat, Regina puts her hand on Daniel’s cheek and makes him look at her.

“Robin is a perfect gentleman. He didn’t break our agreement, I assure you. You have nothing to worry about,” she insists, staring directly into his eyes.

“Are you sure, Regina?” Daniel asks, glancing towards the room where Robin is. “If you’re afraid of what he might do if you tell me, then I assure you that I’ll kill him before he even looks your way again.”

“Daniel!” she exclaims, it comes out louder than she intended. When he continues to stare at her, she assures him in a quieter tone, “I’m fine, really. No one has hurt me so far. To be honest, for the first time in my life I don’t feel caged.” His eyes soften a bit at that, so she quickly adds, “I promise you, if something happens to me, I’ll tell you immediately.”

“I was so worried,” he admits, his arms wrapping around her tightly.

 She goes willingly into his arms, rests her head against his shoulder and closes her eyes. She might feel good in Locksley’s house but nothing feels as good as being in Daniel’s arms.

“Only a few months and we’ll be together again,” she assures him, and herself, and his arms only tighten around her.

There are so many things that she wants to tell him, and she’s sure there are even more things he wants to ask her, but no one says a word.

They stay into each other’s arms, holding each other, kissing from time to time, until Robin finally says that they should head back.

Before Regina can help it, a tear rolls down her cheek.

(…)

When they finally return from their trip, it’s already late into the evening.

The carriage is stopped in front of the castle and Robin gets out of it first groaning, and then stretches his hand out to help Regina. She groans as well as she finally stands up – all of her muscles are sore from sitting in one (uncomfortable) position for so long.

“Thank you, Robin,” Regina says suddenly, grabbing his hand and making him turn around to look at her. Their eyes meet and she doesn’t know what comes over her, but she walks closer and hugs him tightly.

Robin seems surprised but only for a moment because he hugs her back, his arms wrapping tightly around her.

“You’re welcome, Regina,” he tells her, the corners of his mouth lifting up in a small, tired smile.

When they turn to walk into the castle, they find Robin’s mother standing on top of the stairs, watching them with a small smile on her face. Regina glances at Robin with wide eyes but his smile only widens, his hand tightening around hers as they make their way towards the stairs.

It seems that Robin thinks that it is a good thing that his mother saw them hugging. Regina realizes that she agrees.

“Mom,” Robin greets her as they reach the top of the stairs. He walks over to her and kisses her cheek.

“Where have you been?” the older woman asks, her voice curious. “When Mrs. Lucas told me you two went to the Winter Palace, I couldn’t believe it.”

“Well, I wanted so show Regina where we were supposed to live,” Robin says, for a second glancing at Regina, who manages a smile and a nod in agreement. “And she thinks this place is much better than the Winter Palace, right?”

Again, Regina nods her head.

For a moment, Robin’s mother just stares at them, as if trying to decide whether to believe them or not, but then she finally sighs and smiles, “I hope you had a great time.”

“We did,” Robin assures. “But what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be getting ready to sleep?”

“I was going to take a walk in the gardens when I heard the carriage arrive,” she explains before turning to look at Regina and asking, “Darling, if you are not too tired, perhaps you would like to accompany me?”

Regina’s muscles are screaming ‘no’, she feels so tired she barely stands but she nods her head nonetheless – there’s no right way to say no to the Queen.

Robin looks at Regina for a moment and it looks like he’s going to protest, say that she’s had a long day and she should rest but Regina manages a small smile, assuring him that it is fine. Sighing he wishes them a good walk and a good night and then excuses himself, disappearing in the castle while the two women make their way into the gardens.

Despite the fact that Regina is beyond tired, she walks beside Mrs. Locksley with a smile on her face. Today was an unbelievable day, she has felt so happy and free, seeing Daniel made her feel alive again, it helped her realize that everything that she’s doing is worth it because in the end she’ll be with him again.

“It’s such a wonderful sight to see you smiling,” Mrs. Locksley’s voice snaps Regina out of her thoughts and she turns to look at her, smiling sheepishly now.

If only Mrs. Locksley knew the actual reason behind Regina’s smile…

“How are you feeling here?” the woman asks when Regina doesn’t say anything.

For a moment Regina doesn’t know what to say. Should she lie or tell the truth?

Robin’s mother must have sensed her hesitation because she stops walking and turns to look at Regina. She smiles kindly to the younger woman and takes her hand, leads her to the wooden bench in front of apple trees.

They both sit down and Regina lets her eyes focus on those apple trees. The trees make her relax, and she breathes for a moment, trying to figure out what to say. 

Sighing, she settles on saying, “I’m getting used to the life here. Some days are harder than others, but I’ll be fine.” Deep down, Regina knows that she feels much better here with strangers than in her own home with her controlling mother, but it’s too soon to admit that, she’s been here for too little to decide whether or not she’ll be happy here.

Mrs. Locksley smiles, squeezing Regina’s hand in hers, “I’m glad to hear that.”

The silence surrounds them and Regina finds herself looking back to those apple trees again. There’s something about them that has always calmed them down. Maybe it’s the happy memories of her childhood when her father would take her to collect apples in their garden or maybe it’s the memory of Daniel offering her an apple on the day they’ve met.

“I have to admit something,” Robin’s mother says, making Regina blink her eyes and turn to look to the woman. She shifts a bit and continues, “It wasn’t Robin’s uncle who suggested that Robin needs to get married and have an heir. It was me. His uncle only supported this idea, and with a little push from him, Robin had to make it happen.”

Regina’s eyes widen in surprise. Robin’s mother always seems such a lovely woman, she’s always kind and sweet, and Regina cannot understand how someone as good as her could arrange her son’s marriage and force him to marry someone he does not love.

“What?” Regina cannot help but ask. “Why would you do that?”

“Robin’s uncle wanted him to get married for selfish reasons – to assure that the kingdom stays ours. I wanted that for him in hopes that my dear son will find happiness again,” she admits in what Regina supposes is a sincere voice. She shifts uncomfortably again, and tells her, “Robin was depressed after what had happened with Marian. He loved her more than anyone in this world, and after her death, he was only a shell of a person he used to be.”

Regina listens to every word carefully – Robin hasn’t shared anything about what happened to his lover, the one he cannot be with anymore, and she never asked, assumed it was similar to her situation – she was a maid or a peasant and his family didn’t approve of their relationship. But she has never though that his lover might be dead.

“He was disappearing before my eyes. I couldn’t let my son die from heartache and the only way I could think of to cure it was a child,” Mrs. Locksley continues her story, “Children have their way of changing lives, and I thought that maybe, if we found a nice girl, he could even fall in love with her and be happy, have a family and a life he deserved.”

For a moment, Regina sits there, stunned, not knowing what to say. When she met Robin, he didn’t seem depressed to her. On their nightly meetings while they were trying to get to know each other he didn’t show any kind of sadness too.

 But there were a few times when she caught him staring at nowhere, his gaze blank.

Oh Gods!

“He found you, and Regina, finally, after years of sad, forced smiles, he’s finally actually smiling.” Robin’s mother says, taking Regina’s hands in hers and squeezing it lightly, making Regina look up into her eyes. “I don’t know what is happening between you two, and I don’t think he’s falling in love with you just yet but he’s smiling, and he’s taking you on trips, he’s not sitting behind closed doors anymore. He’s alive again, thanks to you.”

Regina doesn’t know what to say, this newly found information has shocked her to the core, so she just stares at Mrs. Locksley in shock. 

“Whatever it is that you’re doing, please, don’t stop,” the older woman says.

Regina nods her head, swallowing hard – she’s not doing anything. To be honest, she doesn’t think she’s helping Robin at all – after all, there’s no connection between them, only an uncertain friendship of sorts. She realizes that all this sudden happiness around him must be fake. He’s faking it for the sake of his mother.

“It’s getting dark, so let’s head back,” Mrs. Locksley says, standing up.

“I’ll stay here for a while, if you don’t mind,” Regina smiles a bit, and the older woman nods her head, wishes Regina a good night and walks back to the castle.

For a while, Regina just stares at these apple trees and thinks. If Robin’s mother is saying the truth, then this sudden change in his mood is clearly an act. And Regina cannot even imagine how does it feel to lose the love of your life and then be forced to marry someone else.

She must say that she agrees with her mother-in-law. A child could change everything for them. Having a baby would actually make all of them happy – perhaps Robin would actually feel happier than he is now, Mrs. Locksley would have a grandchild to love and would see her son happy again, and Regina… Regina would finally be happy with Daniel.

With that thought in mind, Regina stands up from the bench and rushes back to the castle before she changed her mind.

(…)

Inhaling shakily, Regina knocks on Robin chamber’s doors. Anxiously, she shifts her weight from one leg to another as she wonders whether or not she’s making the right decision.

In a moment Robin opens the door. His eyes widen in surprise when he finds her standing there but he recovers quickly and opens the door so Regina can come in.

“What are you doing here?” he asks curiously when he closes the door behind her and turns to look at her.

Staring straight into his eyes, Regina exhales shakily, collects all of her courage and states, “I’m ready. I’m ready to start trying for a baby.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you liked it!  
> It took me almost a year to write this chapter (the first two chapters were posted on another site last year) but I can try to update more often if you are interested! So please, let me know what you think!!


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